1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to garments. More particularly, the invention relates to a shirt in which the collar does not shrink in size when laundered, and in which the collar is expandable to enable the collar to adjust to slight variations in neck size, thereby making it more comfortable to wear. The expandable collar of the invention also accommodates a small range of different neck sizes, enabling fewer shirt sizes to be manufactured and inventoried. Further, the expandable collar of the invention is easier to button because of the slight stretch or yield of the material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Shirts having collars, e.g., dress shirts, are normally sold in sizes based upon the circumference of the collar and the length of the sleeves. Manufacturers presently make shirts with actual neck sizes that are slightly greater than the marked size in order to compensate for shrinkage when the shirt is laundered. Moreover, shirts are typically manufactured with collar sizes varying in half inch increments, e.g., 15, 15xc2xd, 16, 16xc2xd etc. These incremental sizes enable most users to find a comfortable fit, but require a large number of different sizes to be manufactured and inventoried. Moreover, the wearer""s neck size may vary slightly during the course of a day, or over some other period of time, and a previously selected neck size may become uncomfortable or inappropriate. Further, even when the shirt fits comfortably, it is sometimes difficult to button the collar button.
In conventional shirts, the weave of the fabric of the collar and the neck band is placed or oriented so that the weft runs circumferentially and the warp runs perpendicularly thereto. When the shirt is laundered, the threads shrink in length by three to five percent. Consequently, in a shirt having a sixteen inch neck size, the shrinkage in a circumferential direction can be greater than one-half inch.
Various solutions to the problem have been offered in the prior art. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,396,842 to Franklin, reinforced stitching is placed in the neckband during manufacture of the shirt, with the stitching extending generally transversely of the length of the neckband, and resembling the stitching around a button hole. If the collar becomes too tight for some reason, the fabric in the area bordered by the stitching can be cut, thereby enabling the neckband to expand slightly, effectively increasing the length of the neckband. The opening formed by cutting the material bordered by the reinforced stitching is bottom edges of the neckband remain unaffected. Thus, elongation of the neckband is limited due to the restraining effect of the stitching at the top and bottom edges of the neckband. Moreover, in order for the invention shown in this patent to be operative, it is necessary for the user to cut the fabric bordered by the reinforced stitching.
Other solutions to this problem have been offered by U.S. Pat. No. 2,025,485 to Tucker, U.S. Pat. No. 2,087,532 to Shepherd, U.S. Pat. No. 2,996,723 to Ainslie, U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,377 to Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,808 to Ambrose and U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,884 to Sherman. All of these patents rely upon some form of elastic material to permit the circumference of the collar to expand to accommodate to different neck sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,101,380 to Alston discloses a different arrangement, wherein a box pleat is formed completely along the back of the shirt and through the neckband, with an adjustable strap and buckle to enable the pleat to be closed or opened.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,853 to Millican discloses another arrangement, wherein multiple fasteners are provided in order to adjust the circumference of the shirt collar, depending upon which fastener is selected.
Many of these prior art arrangements are relatively complicated and expensive to manufacture, and/or require specific action or manipulation by the user, and/or apply a constant compressive force to the neck.
In applicant""s prior U.S. Pat. No. 6,081,926, an expandable collar was accomplished by use of expandable slits in the neckband. Although this approach solved the xe2x80x9ccomfortxe2x80x9d problem, it requires an additional manufacturing step, moreover, if the collar is raised or folded up, the slits are noticeable to the wearer and those near him. This patent did not teach any feature that would avoid shrinkage.
In applicant""s prior application Ser. No. 09/366,681, the weave of the fabric is placed on a bias, and the edges of the interfacing may be cut in a zig-zag pattern and secured only at the peaks, enabling it to stretch or expand along with the collar. The stitching joining the neckband and the collar can also be in a zig-zag or other pattern so that the stitching itself does not impede stretching of the collar. Although the structure employed in this application would avoid shrinkage, that fact was not recognized at the time.
The present invention provides a simple and economical means associated with the collar of a shirt to avoid shrinkage of the collar when the shirt is laundered, and also to enable the size of the collar to automatically expand or contract to compensate for an increase or decrease in the neck size of the user, and to enable a shirt manufactured in a single neck size to fit persons having different neck sizes, without requiring additional manufacturing steps or producing a noticeably different appearance to the wearer or those near him.
Simple and economical means is associated with the neckband and collar in the present invention, operative to prevent noticeable shrinkage of the collar when the shirt is laundered, and to automatically effectively adjust the length of the neckband and collar to a small range of different neck sizes, whereby fewer incremental sizes need to be manufactured and inventoried, shirts can be marketed with the actual neck size marked on the label, and whereby the shirt remains comfortable to wear even after it has been laundered and even when the neck size of the wearer varies slightly after purchase of the shirt, all without requiring additional manufacturing steps or producing an appearance that is noticeably different to the customer.
The foregoing is achieved by placing the weave of the fabric constituting the neckband on a bias to minimize or eliminate shrinkage when the shirt is laundered, at least minimize shrinkage in the circumferential direction of the collar, and that enables elongation and contraction of the collar and neckband in a circumferential direction. With this arrangement, even though shrinkage or shortening of the threads comprising the collar and neckband may occur along the length of the threads when the shirt is laundered, the arrangement of the threads on a bias results in negligible shrinkage of the collar and neckband in a circumferential direction of the collar. Moreover, when tension or force is applied along the length of the neckband, the fabric of the collar and neckband is enabled to expand or stretch, effectively lengthening the neckband.
Similarly, any interfacing or stiffening material that is placed in the collar and/or neckband can be oriented so that the weave is on a bias, whereby any shrinkage in the length of the threads has a negligible effect in a circumferential direction of the collar, and the material can flex or stretch along with the material of the collar and/or neckband. Alternatively, the interfacing can be made of a stretchable material.
In some shirts, the collar interfacing is stitched at one edge in the seam joining the neckband and collar. If the interfacing is not made of a stretchable material, or not oriented with its weave on a bias, this edge can be cut with a zig-zag pattern and positioned so that the stitching secures only the peaks. Thus, even if shrinkage of the interfacing occurs, and even if a stiff, non-stretchable interfacing is used, the collar and neckband will not shrink in a circumferential direction, and they are still able to stretch.
The stitching joining the collar and neckband can be done on a zig-zag, or skip stitching ran be used, whereby any shrinkage in the threads of the stitching will have a negligible effect on the circumferential size of the collar, and the stitching itself can yield or stretch in a longitudinal direction when tension or force is applied circumferentially to the collar.
A shirt made in accordance with the invention does not cost any more than a shirt made conventionally, and requires little or no change in the manufacturing procedure. It is necessary only to lay the material that forms the collar and neckband so that the weave is on a bias when the material is cut, and to use stitching that enables, the stitched seam to stretch or elongate when force is applied to it. For example, the stitching can be applied in a zig-zig or sinusoidal pattern, or skip stitching or other form of stitching can be used.
Moreover, fewer sizes need to be manufactured and stocked when shirts are made according to the invention, and the actual size of the collar can be the same as marked. For example, shirts can be made in sizes 15-15xc2xd, 16-16xc2xd, 17-17xc2xd, etc., rather than in sizes 15, 15xc2xd, 16, 16xc2xd, 17, 17xc2xd, etc., thereby eliminating every other half-size that is currently manufactured and stocked. This can result in lower cost to both the manufacturer and the retailer
Further, a shirt made in accordance with the invention does not present a noticeably different appearance to the customer, and is easier to button than a conventional shirt.